Monday, February 18, 2013

Rock Star Romance Day 1

Kelli McCracken!!!!!!!!!!

What the Heart Wants & What the Heart Needs by Kelli McCracken are two books that just BLEW me away! I'll never forget finishing the first book, What the Heart Wants, in the Soulmate Series and checking Kelli's blog site daily for updates for the second book to arrive! I immediately fell in love with Dylan & Heaven! I needed more or I was going to....................................

I seriously was going CRAY-CRAY! Well, I bet you want to know a little bit more about this FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC book so here's a little blurb:

Do dreams foretell the future? Are there soul connections that go deeper than love?

He can sense her emotions at any place and time. Their bond is powerful but a mystery. One thing he does know: She's plagued his dreams for months. Maybe even longer.

Being involved with a celebrity is the last things she imagined...or wanted. Can she forget the pain from the past? Can he let go of his fears?

Seriously, you HAVE to be intrigued by that! I know I was! I don't read a lot of paranormal but I do read some and what I've read has totally KICKED ARSE! The "soulmates" got me from the start! Do you wonder if there is another person out there that is your one and only soulmate? Someone who knows you better than anyone else? I often wondered that too! But I stopped thinking about that 21 years ago when I met my soulmate~ cue sappy 80's ballad~! Well in typical Kim fashion I'm going to share my review with you so I can INTRIGUE you a little or hopefully, A LOT!!!!!

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Often times I come by a book simply from searching key words in Amazon! Well I found this one a long time ago quite by mistake! BEST.MISTAKE.EVER!!!! I swear once you start reading this one you WON'T be able to put it down! This is one of those books that made me........
Dylan & Heaven were born 21 years ago on the same day ~ What they didn't know 21 years later is who the other one was! Meeting up in dreams that felt beyond real they both knew thier "soulmate" was out there! But how does one go about finding such person in a World as big as ours! Ridculed by her two sisters about her "dream man" Heaven hasn't really revealed too much! Heaven's sisters, Faith & Hope, are traveling with her to her best friend Chelsea's wedding! Heaven, Faith & Hope are triplets! Once Heaven arrives in Los Angeles her life will change in a BIG WAY!!!!!!!
Dylan McBride just returned from California after being out on tour with his band Long Cold Winter! He's tired but happy to get out of the "spotlight" for awhile! He's been dreaming about "his Angel!" Dylan questions if the one woman he dreams about could actually be real! He wonders if he is ever going to find the "happiness" he really wants and not with some "groupie" trying to work her way into his bed! If I had a man like Dylan McBride dreaming about me, Oh girls, I'd...................................................................
Well eventually Dylan & Heaven meet! I'm not going to tell you where but I'm going to tell you the moment those to laid eyes on each other ~ I was swooning! But nothing really worth having is easy..... and neither one of them realize exactly how "important" they are or how intricately their pasts are linked! Like I said earlier once I started this book I couldn't put it down!! I had moments of...................
then seeing the Dylan & his bandmates Layne,Kyle, Scott, Jerry & Sebastian together and how they meet up with the "girls" well I was literally..........................................................
let me tell you that Layne, Dylan's BFF, ladies man extraordinaire well he gets a look at Heaven and my first thought was......................
but we know who Heaven has eyes for and that's what matters! But don't think it's smooth sailing! Things really start getting crazy and when something happens to Heaven I wanted to be there doing this...........
yes there were parts of the book where I.......................
and of course, it is a GREAT book, I was doing this............
oh there was some of this...................................
and I was left like this at the end.........................
and once I processed it I was totally.....................
What the Heart Needs is seriously a AWESOME READ!!! I LOVED IT! It HAD ALL the ingredients I needed for a Rock Star read BUT not the typical kind your thinking! Nope don't worry about those nagging arse groupies hanging around! This is a story of two soulmates finding each other and their love for each that is so deep that NO ONE is going to break it apart ~ regardless of the forces that are trying to work against them and continue to do so!!!
This book is more than 5 stars for me! There's not enough adjectives in my small little brain to describe my LOVE of this book! Just TRUST ME it's AMAZINGLY HOT, EMOTIONAL and will keep you guessing the whole time!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~But WAIT remember Kelli has the second in the Soulmate series out, What the Heart Needs, OMG!!! The second BOOK O.M.G.!!! Here's the synopsis:Bound by destiny, can their love survive those that would tear them apart?

Dylan thought he had it all after Heaven agreed to marry him. But the secrets surrounding them continue to build.

His best friend's keeping something from him. As are his parents. And someone wants Heaven dead.

Can he protect his soulmate and solve the mystery before it's too late?While reading the second book I thought I was done for, yep I was going to have a stroke!!!! Well here's my review of What the Heart Needs:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh yeah it FINALLY came out! As I sat in my hotel room on a business trip in November 2012 reading this AWESOME book! I totally wanted to do this..
Dylan & Heaven are TOGETHER and getting ready to tell their family & friends that they are getting MARRIED!!! Yes, what a perfect time to get everyone together to tell them all and they can celebrate together! Well, it was A LOT of fun until Dylan's father shows up and when he confronts Heaven guess who is right there for her? Layne, YES HIM, and I was wanting to do this to Dylan's father..........................
Layne seems to have developed feelings for Heaven! Boy oh Boy, doesn't this throw a wrench into everything. Is this the making for the end of Dylan & Heaven's relationship? Well, you can read this one and find out and I promise it's a bumpy, pot-holed filled ride with forces NO ONE expected, well perhaps some did, working against them!
What happened between Faith & Layne? Faith's little "secret" about BLEW me out of my chair! It takes A LOT to get my lazy arse out of my reading chair but this almost did it! I so wanted to get my hands on Faith and totally.....................................................
My heart literally broke for Layne! We see a different side to him. He so wants to protect Heaven from the person stalking her! YES SOMEONE WAS STALKING her! Wierd calls, feelings of being watched, and packages showing up! Who was it? Was it Dylan's father who obviously was against the marriage? Well, when you read this and find out you will do this too...................................................................
Does Dylan & Heaven get their happily ever after? or is Layne part of the picture? Well, I will hint Layne is part of the picture and you can see just how he fits in Heaven's life. This book was chalk full of emotions from the get-go! Do NOT start this book in a lonely hotel room at 10 p.m. at night when you have to be at a meeting by 8 a.m. the next morning! THANK the Lord for Starbucks cause this one kept me up until 3 a.m. OH SO WORTH IT! I think for a good portion of the book I was like this...........................................
some parts I seriously was freaking out like this..................
when you get to this part, I can't tell you which part, but remember I told you it will make you do this like I did.........................
remember that and YOU WILL KNOW which part! When certain events happen and things are revealed I'm sure I was doing this....................
LOVE LOVE LOVE DYLAN & HEAVEN!!! I really do love them and I NOW love Layne just as much!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Loved it!!! Can't wait for 3rd book!!! This is totally me once I was done .....................
Kelli's second book What the Heart Needs moved me more than the first! I'm in LOVE with this book! I experienced everything while reading it and I was biting my nails afraid certain things would happen and certain things wouldn't! Oh so vague ;) This is another more than 5 star read for me! I love Kelli's writing style and books I seriously cannot wait for the next book! The Soulmate Series is one series that I will BAWL my eyes out when it ends!
If you haven't read the second book then you have to get this one NOW! I bought it the day it came out and gobbled it up so yes that leaves me waiting again but for Kelli I will wait! AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME book!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Okay so you know I loved both books! I had an opportunity to "chat" with Kelli about her books and ROCK-N-Roll!!! Check out my interview:

~ What inspired you to write your first book?

Music. And this pesky little thing I call a vivid imagination. I grew up without siblings, so I had to find ways to entertain myself. I remember my mom buying me a tape recorder (I'm showing my age here) and I used to sing with the radio and record it on cassette tapes with my imaginary friends. Yes, I had imaginary friends. Thing is, when I grew up, those friends never went away. ~_^ I tried to ignore them, but they started talking louder. So I started writing down the things they told me.

~ Where did you come up with the idea for What the Heart Wants & What the Heart Needs?

Believe it or not, I started writing What the Heart Wants when I was 13. Or at least, that's when the initial idea began. The story went through many changes. Including a title change. But it all started because of a song...Aerosmith's Angel.

Music stimulates my creativity. It always has. When I listen to music, my characters start 'showing' me scenes from their life, as if it were on a movie screen. After some poking and prodding on my end, they start telling me more. Except Layne. He loves to chat away...usually at 3 A.M.

~ Is there any "truth" to your books, for example, have you met a Rock Star that became your muse for the story or do you have a muse?

I actually have a muse, Leela. She's a party girl who likes to go out, meet people, then bring them back to me to tell their life stories. I only started with a few characters. Thanks to Leela, I have a ton waiting for my attention. I feel so loved, lol ~_^

~ Can you share what you might have in the works at this time?

Sure! I'm getting ready to start a new series. I wrote a short story last year for a Valentine's anthology. Now that the antho has disbanded, I'm turning the story into a full length novel. It's follows the story of Jocelyn and Adam, two lost souls brought together by a twist of fate. And a very special guitar... That's all I can say for now. Once it's finished, I'm starting the 3rd book in the Soulmate Series.

~ What types of music do you like to listen to?

I love all genres of music. My favorite is rock. There's just something about an electric guitar that calls to my soul.

~ Name 3 of your favorite Bands

This is a really hard choice. There are so many great ones out there. I listen to a lot of Godsmack, Korn, & Nickelback, but I have many more that I adore.

~ Do you create a playlist while your working on your books?

Oh yes. I absolutely love Spotify. I had a big playlist while writing What the Heart Needs. I made another one for my latest release, Only in Time. I'm already building my playlist for book 3.

~ Name one Rocker you wouldn't mind meeting in person or have met in person

I haven't met him in person, but I did chat on the phone with Mark Slaughter of the 80's/90's band, Slaughter. I'd still like to meet him. And Chad Kroeger. He just seems really down to earth.

Want to know more about Kelli & The Soulmate Series well be sure to check out the following links:

I really hope you ENJOY The Soulmate Series as much as I do and if you purchase and read it stop on by and LET ME KNOW WHAT you think!!!!

*********************** GIVEWAWAY **************************

I'm going to give TWO lucky WINNER an e-copy, KINDLE, of What the Heart Needs & What the Heart Wants (if you have the first book I will purchas the second for you so you can still enter) BUT THATS NOT ALL~ Kelli has some SWAG for you Team Dylan & Team Layne magnets (SOULMATE SERIES SWAG) So whoever wins the SWAG but you will need to specify which Team your on ;)

Comment on this blog post which part of Kelli's interview you liked the most! Please leave an e-mail address and let me know who intrigue's you at this point Dylan or Layne and which Team do you think you would be part of?

I love that music play such an important role in her writing. I'm married to a radio DJ, so our house if always full of music. All different kinds of music. I love to connect everything to music too. I haven't read any of the SOULMATE books so I'm not sure which "team" I would be on. But I definitely look forward to picking one! ;)britneywyatt[at]gmail[dot]com

Exciting, exciting! As a writer myself, I'm most interested in what motivates Kelli to write and her process. The music aspect is a big bonus! I'm on Team Dylan at the moment. Just bought "Book 1" so will have more definite loyalties as soon as I crack that Kindle open tonight ;)Thanks for the recommendation, interview & giveaway, Kim!

Absolutely loved these reviews. I love reading reviews where the person reviewing puts all their whole heart into it. This is exactly what you have done. I haven't heard of these books but now I have read your excellent review I must say I NEED THESE BOOKS LIKE YESTERDAY HA HA !!! I'm a bit stuck though about what team. But I think I'm veering towards Layne he seems to intrigue me that bit more lol. Also loved the whole interview with Kelli. I would love to win these books. Email is saxojo24@aol.com thanks for this great giveaway xx

I liked Kelli talking about what she did growing up and where her imagination still takes her. =D Kelli is a new author to me but these books sound great, I am excited to check them out. Thanks for the review & interview!kgagnon@donofrio.cc

I like Kelli's answer to your first question. I am also from the days of recording on cassettes. My kids don't even know what a cassett is. Lol. I like that she had imaginary friends and that they still speak to her. As of right now, based entirely on your reviews, I'm Team Dylan. Sounds like he is obviously her sole mate, I hope Dylan and Heaven get their HEA :) my email address is h_mitchell76@msn.com

GAaaaaah...where the Eff have I been? I feel like I'm once again sitting in the back of the class. I've not even heard of these books until now. What the fu*k?!?!? I need to win them so that I can pick a team. Lol.

Loved Kelli's answer to the first question - only children unite!! Hehe (: I definitely Have a vivid imagination as well. I Can't believe I Have never heard of this series until now, it sounds rock my socks off good. I definitely think unwilling be team Dylan. Great day 1 for rockets romance! edibenedetto64(@)gmail(dot)com

Totally shocked she got the idea to write it at age 13!!! I was LOL at your review about being in the lonely hotel room reading the 2nd book. Great review! Sound like fun angsty reads. Kim... kimbytx@gmail.com

I'm shocked by how young she was starting out writing. Talent must be in her genes! And I'm definitely on team Dylan even tho I have yet to read these books, I'm anxious to shoot over to amazon right now and snag them! Thanks again for all your blog and author giveaways. So generous! ❤ Brooke Duffey

Loved the interview. Music is a great muse. I use playlists on spotify myself to help with my writing. It's wonderful to see how good authors express their music into inspiring all acspect of their writing.kimlrkim@aol.com

I liked what Kelli said about when she started writing "Believe it or not, I started writing What the Heart Wants when I was 13. Or at least, that's when the initial idea began. The story went through many changes. Including a title change. But it all started because of a song...Aerosmith's Angel".Just the fact that she started young and knew what her passion was and was able to follow through to succeed in that passion I admire that. I haven't read either books but based on your review Team Dylan..Thanks for a great review and giveaway...susana.dorado@yahoo.com

Thanks for the review and giveaway. My favorite part of the interview is her telling her favorite bands. I enjoy those three as well so that was cool that we like the same author. Team Dylan. emilyb0924 at gmail dot com

Oh Dear Lord, where have I been??? Have I been hiding under a rock??? These books sound amazing!!! I love your review and the interview! It is so fun reading what people think about the books they read, as well as getting to know a little about the authors who give us these beautiful gifts!! I would love to win this contest :)

Thanks for the review, interview, and giveaway! My favorite part of the interview is the very first question where she talks about her imaginary friends. I think that's a very clever way to describe characters and connect them to imaginary friends you may have as a child. In a lot of ways, characters really are like that for writers.

I love that she says when she listens to music she can see the characters scene playout in her head. Its good to know I'm not alone. :) Great review and interview. I love interviews and being able to see where the book comes from. Thanks for the giveaway. Oh and I would totally be Team Dylan. He was the first so therefore he should be the last. Know what I mean? Mrs(dot)Graef(at)hotmail(dot)com

I really like the fact that she started writing so young! And I love anything music related, so that part of the interview is my fave. Especially that she likes Slaughter. I was so in love with the drummer Blas Elias, as well as Mark, when I was in middle school! Wow, blast from the past. This is a great review/interview. I am pretty sure I am going to be a Dylan fan, I mean they are soul mates, right? Can't wait to read these!LeaLmburn23@yahoo.com

I think nit is awesome that a friend, music and a love for your characters so young has given you this gift to write! I am new to Kelli's fan club but have read both books as well as Only in Time. I fell in love with each character and felt the emotion in all of the books! Kelli is a gifted writer destined for great things!

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About Me

Very AVID reader! Depending on what's going on during the week I can average 3-6 books per week! Much to the chagrin of the hubby... I'm sometimes over enthusiastic with my shouting out about reading!!! There are books that I've read that I feel the words I've said can't do them justice!!!